Confidence has never seemed lacking in Sarah McLeod, and on Superjesus’ first release in over a decade, it’s practically bursting through the seams. For good reason too: Love and Violence is as good a record as they have ever made – perhaps even better than chart busters Sumo and The Jet Age from 1998 and 2000.

A year or so ago The Superjesus seemed unfocussed and scrappy live, but Love and Violence dispels any doubts we had, each of the five new tracks slow burning, boasting character and grace, and enormous, soaring melodies that build with each successive listen.

Try as we might, picking favourites is redundant here. Come Back To Me (also here as a live version) and the yearning Setting Sun are mighty. St Peter’s Lane boasts a new wavey edginess as McLoad sings of watching working girls on the avenue. The title track may have a relatively run of the mill verse structure, but it’s chorus builds into an epic and memorable one. Sea Song, meanwhile, shows that McLeod has picked up some tricks working with Tea Party frontman Jeff Martin: it’s as esoteric a song as The Superjesus have ever made.

Love and Violence proves that The Superjesus are back, and beyond a doubt are far from a spent force.

1976 Florence Ballard, one of the original Supremes, died of a heart attack at the age of 32. After being dismissed from the group, Ballard separated from her husband and went on welfare after losing an $8.7 million suit for back royalties against Motown Records

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This Day In History

1976 Florence Ballard, one of the original Supremes, died of a heart attack at the age of 32. After being dismissed from the group, Ballard separated from her husband and went on welfare after losing an $8.7 million suit for back royalties against Motown Records